At Last
by Erandri
Summary: June remembers back to when she first met Byron. My first song fic.


**This is my first song fic so I apologize if it doesn't exactly jive right. The song is "At Last" by Etta James and the story is about how June and Byron first met. I hope you like it.**

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June was sitting on the couch and listening to the soft music drifting slowly down the stairway from Neal's room. She had the morning paper in her hands but it had long since been forgotten in the soft, melodious voices of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and the rest of the Rat Pack. 'Ee- oh Eleven' ended with a scat solo and after a pause an all too familiar violin started to play an all too familiar tune. She listened to the sweeping melody of the strings and June let herself fall back into memories.

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At last

She was wearing a beautiful white gown with matching gloves and had her hair down in waves. She knew as soon as she saw it in the dress shop window that it had been made just for this occasion. And this was an occasion. Half of New York City's elites were here and all for her debutante ball.

**My love has come along**

She had been presented to everybody and all of the formalities were over so she was currently standing in a circle with her friends who had been eligible to come. Her family may have been 'new money' but her father had old traditions, so only her friends who had already been presented to society were invited. They were tittering away when Shirley stopped and muttered an appreciative 'oh'. The small group slowly turned and saw a very handsome man standing in the doorway.

**My lonely days are over**

He looked around and smiled a devilish grin when his eyes reached her table. She turned back to her friends and they all began to giggle.

"Excuse me," the man said and she turned around to look into those devilish eyes, "I am very sorry for missing the beginning of your ball but my car was…delayed. I hope that you will accept my humblest apologies," he took her hand and kissed it gently.

"I am very sorry to hear that," she said and a slight blush rose to her cheeks, "But, I will only accept your apology on one condition."

"And that is?" the man said with a sultry smile.

"Well," she said trying to sound coy, "My father insists that I dance but all the men here are so conventional."

"I assure you, I am anything but conventional," he said and her heard fluttered ever so slightly.

**And life is like a song**

He led her out onto the dance floor just as 'Fly Me To The Moon' ended. He put his hand on her waist and took her other hand in his. Others slowly moved off of the dance floor at the end of the song and soon they had the floor all to themselves. The orchestra started up and Etta James' newest song 'At Last' started. He slowly twirled her around and the singer started in with the lyrics.

**Oh yeah yeah, at last**

As he twirled her around a small smile crept onto her lips. This was… this was something. She couldn't place her finger on it but, somehow he was different. Then something dawned on her.

"I don't know your name," she said looking into his eyes.

"Byron," he said with a smile.

"Hello Byron, I'm June."

"Hello June," he said and spun her around the dance floor once more.

**The skies above are blue**

The song was over all too soon and they stood in the middle of the dance floor as the people around them started to clap.

"Thank you for the lovely dance, Miss June," Byron said with a bow.

She curtseyed in return, "The pleasure was all mine. If you would accept, I hear the night is beautiful and I would love it if you would accompany me outside."

"It would be my pleasure to accompany you," he said and she took his offered arm.

They walked outside onto the balcony and saw the Skyline before them.

"It's beautiful!" she said leaning on the stone balcony. She stood there and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.

**My heart was wrapped up in clover**

She felt something drop onto her shoulders and saw that Byron had placed his jacket on her to keep her warm. She smiled to him as he joined her at the balcony. They stood there and admired the city as a new song started up inside.

"Byron,"

"Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

"It's your debutante," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which in a way it was.

**The night I looked at you**

She looked at him with a knowing look, "That may be but, I didn't invite you."

Byron's look of happiness disappeared, just for a fraction of a second and, were she not as perceptive as she was, she never would have noticed that she had hit some nerve.

"No, no you didn't," he said, his voice losing some of the emotion that had once been there.

"Relax, I won't tell anyone. I just wanted to know why I had the honor of having you show up."

"Well, do you want the truth, or the truth?"

"You could always tell me truth," she said and a small, pleased smile graced his lips.

**I found a dream, that I could speak to**

"I'm on the run," he said and looked at her, searching for an expression. All he saw was attentiveness, "I made some people angry and I have to blend in with a different crowd for a while."

"You're a criminal," she said. It wasn't a question, just a statement, but somehow there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. She hadn't meant for there to be but, sometimes you own body betrays you.

"That's one way of putting it, though I prefer connoisseur of valuable historical artifacts."

She stared at the full moon before letting out a small chuckle.

**A dream that I can call my own**

"That sounds like quite the life," she said and Byron stared at her with a look that she could only call surprise, "Not the reaction you were expecting?"

"No, not at all," he said, "Most people would have phoned the police by now."

"I think you will find that I am not most people. My whole life I have grown up in this society, where I'm told what to do and when. That I can't wear that and I have to eat this. Your life must be so… free," she said with a sigh and could hear the envy in her voice. She wondered what it would be like, to live on the other side of that line; where you lived by your own rules.

**I found a thrill to press my cheek to**

After what seemed like hours of silence she dared to look over a Byron; he was staring at her with a look that she had seen many times before. It was a look that many men falsely gave her, a look that her father reserved only for her mother, a look usually only seen in the movies; it was a look of pure love.

"If you don't mind Miss June," Byron said leaning in a little closer, "I'd like to kiss you."

**A thrill that I have never known**

Her heart had fluttered once again at his words. She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks and her palms were suddenly very moist. Byron leaned in even closer and she felt herself leaning forwards to meet him. She was very aware that her heart was now racing at an unhealthy speed and that her throat was parched but, once her lips met his it all seemed to flee from her mind.

**Oh yeah, yeah**

His kiss was beautiful. As soon as they met she was only aware of his lips on hers; she could taste strawberries, probably from one of the desserts inside and that only made the kiss sweeter. They slowly moved so that they were facing each other and she felt one of his hands at the back of her neck, bringing her closer to him.

**You smile, you smile**

She broke the kiss and smiled at him just as she heard a commotion from inside. She peered through the doors to see two FBI agents flashing badges and walking around the room.

"Friends of yours?" she asked gazing over at him.

"I should go," his once calm mood suddenly serious.

**Oh, and then the spell was cast**

"Go out the back door, I'll take care of them," she said and took off his jacket.

"I can't, I'll not make you lie for me."

"You're not making me," she said and kissed him once again. She made to go inside but he grabbed her wrist and kissed her again.

"Thank you."

"Thank me when you're safe, now go," she said and walked inside.

**And here we are in heaven**

She walked into the room will all the dignity of the Queen. She held her head high, shoulder back and a miffed look on her face.

"Officer," she said and the two agents turned to her, "I would like to know why you are ruining my party," she said with all the contempt she could muster.

"Ma'am, we believe that there is a fugitive hiding here."

"A fugitive? Sir, I will have you know that there is no such man here and I am insulted that you would even make that inference! Now unless you are here with an invitation, I would ask that you leave."

It was not a question, it was a statement. The cops heard the tone in her voice and were smart enough to catch on, the last thing that they needed was a bunch angry social elites.

"We apologize ma'am," one agent said and they left just as quickly as they arrived.

**For you are mine...**

Her shoulders slumped as soon as the cops were out of sight and Shirley and Margret came up beside her.

"Were they?" Shirley asked.

"That guy?" Margret said.

"Yes," she said and walked back outside as the band hesitantly started to pick up again.

**At Last**

She walked back to the balcony and breathed a sigh of relief; Byron had gotten away. She looked up at the skyline again but this time it had lost a bit of its magic. She bowed her head and saw something out of the corner of her eye. On a small table next to her was a beautiful red rose and a card. She picked them up and smelled the lovely flower; then she inspected the card. One side was blank but on the other, written in a quick scrawl, were three words: 'See you around'. She smiled and hoped, prayed, that the card was right and that this wouldn't be the last time that she saw Byron. Something deep down inside of her, told her that it wasn't.

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"June?" Neal asked, his concern evident, she was pulled from her reverie and looked over at the ex- conman, "Are you okay?"

"Of course," she said with her usual smile, "Just lost in a beautiful memory."

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**I hope that you liked it. I had been listening to some Sinatra and then "At Last" came up and it just screamed June and Byron to me. In the story June would be twenty- one, the age when most debutant's are, and it's about 1961, right after "At Last" was released.**

**You have no idea how long I have been looking at ball gowns on Google, it was probably about two hours, in order to find one that seemed right for June so ill try and post a link to it on my profile. she would also have white gloves to go along with the dress.**


End file.
